Before Fame

He was raised to believe that his maternal grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister. He did not find out the truth until a TIME magazine journalist informed him in 1974. During high school, he was voted class clown and served an entire year's worth of afternoons in detention.

Trivia

He and Michael Caine were the only two actors to receive Academy Award nominations in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s.

Family Life

His mother was showgirl June Frances, who was known by her stage name June Nilson. He dated actress Anjelica Huston for sixteen years, but their relationship ended in 1989. He has three daughters named Lorraine, Honey and Jennifer and a son named Ray.

Associated With

Debra Winger and Shirley MacClain co-starred with him in the 1983 comedy/drama Terms of Endearment. All three were nominated for Academy Awards with MacClain and Nicholson winning Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively.